Arteta credits Chelsea’s performance in London derby

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has given plaudits to his team’s rival, Chelsea, after a pulsating 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The Gunners went into the game unbeaten this season in the Premier League, and Chelsea were chasing their third consecutive victories in the league.

The Blues went ahead through Cole Palmer’s penalty after a handball in the Gunners box in the 15th minute of the first half, and Mykhalo Mudryk doubled the advantage in the early minutes of the second half with a spectacular volley.
Arsenal’s revival started with a belter from Declan Rice in the 77th minute, and the comeback was completed by Leandro Trossard six minutes from time. The Gunners remain unbeaten, and while the comeback was commendable, Mikel Arteta has mixed feelings about the result.

“It’s mixed feelings. Credit to Chelsea for the way they set up. You have to expect that. We were below par in very basic things, and we didn’t play with enough purpose with the ball, and we were soft in some situations. We allowed them to run, which is a really dangerous thing to do. We tweaked things and played the second half with a different intensity. We were more of a threat, and we should have scored a goal earlier. We scored two brilliant goals, which gave us a point, but we wanted more. When you’re 2-0 down against Chelsea, you can drop your head and start to blame each other. But the team never did that; they believed they could do it [get back in the game].” Arteta said.

Other results on Saturday saw Manchester City return to winning ways against Brighton with a 2-1 win, Liverpool beat Everton 2-0, and Manchester United went 2-1 against Sheffield United. Newcastle United beat Crystal Palace 4-0, and Nottingham Forest drew Luton Town 2-2. On Monday, another London derby will be on display as Tottenham host Fulham.